Undertaker s pedestal



(No Model.) I

. A. O. DILLMAN.

UNDERTAKER'S PEDESTAL.

No. 563,264. Patented July 7,'1896..

00221266866: Invenior UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUSTUS ofDILLMAN, OF BRYAN, OHIO.

UNDERTAKERS PEDESTAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 563,264, dated July 7, 1896. Application filed December 26,1895. Serial No. 573,261. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUSTUS O. DILLMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bryan, Williams county, Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Undertakers Pedestals, of which the following is a specification.

The pedestals or supports for coliins heretofore used by undertakers have consisted of draped pillars or frames which have been heavy, bulky, and unwieldy, and which have usually required an extra vehicle for their conveyance.

My invention relates to and its object is to provide a pedestal which shall be light and strong, and which may be folded into such compact form as to be readily stowed out of sight when not in use, and which may, if necessary, be conveyed in the front part of a hearse, thus dispensing with the necessity for an extra conveyance. I attain these objects by means of the device hereinafter described, and shown and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, made part hereof, in which 4 v Figure l is a perspective view of my folding pedestal with part of the drapery removed; Fig. 2, a diagrammatic side elevation of the same, showing the same in folded and partlyfolded positions; and Fig. 3, an enlarged elevation of the hinge and catch hereinafter referred to.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several'views.

My device consists of an oblong rectangular frame supported by four legs a, one at each corner. The legs at each end are framed rigidly together, in pairs, by means of upper rails 12 and lower rails c. The two end frames thus formed are connected by upper side.

The

pairs of rails d e, at each side of the frame, are connected by two vertical pieces ff, pivotally secured midway of the rails at the middle joints or hinges above mentioned. The two rails d d are also connected with each other midway of their length by cross-piece g, which, at each end, is secured axially of the hinges d. One part of each of the twopart rails d is provided with a hook it, adapted to engage an eye or stop 01 upon the opposing part of said rail.

The operation of my device, thus far described, is as follows: W'hen the feet of the four legs are upon the ground and the side rails are in horizontal position, the hooks 71, should be engaged with the eyes or stops 1'. The whole frame is now rigid and may be lifted and carried about as a common table. Now, if the hooks h are disengaged, and if the pedestal be lifted by the cross-piece g, the side rails cl e will fold upwardly in vertical position, and the two end frames at b 0 will be drawn close together, being separated only by the breadth of the now Vertically-disposed rails cl 6. It should be observed that the rails e are pivotally secured at their ends to the leg-pieces in a plane just inside of the vertical plane of the rails 01, and that the vertical connecting-pieces f are, at their upper ends, secured to the inside of the rails d, and at their lower ends at the outside of the rails c. This disposition of the rails 01 6 permits the lower rails, when folded, to project upwardly inside of and beyond the lower ends of the folded upper rails d, as shown in Fig. 2.

If desired, the folding pedestal above described may be provided with suitable drapery or curtains extending from the top of the pedestal to the ground. In such case the drapery is secured at the ends to the rails I), while at the sides the drapery is not secured to the rails, but is stretched upon an elastic tape k, running parallel with the upper side rail and secured at each end to a corner of the frame. When the pedestal is distended in position ready for use, the tape is is stretched and the drapery falls in regular folds, but

when the frame is folded, as in Fig. 2, the

tension upon the india-rubber tape being released, the tape becomes short enough to accommodate itself to the folded position of the frame, and the drapery secured to it is)'/ gathered in thick folds at the side of the frame.

Having described my invention, What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

1. In an undertakers pedestal, the four legs thereof framed rigidly together in pairs, forming the ends of the pedestal, two pairs of tw0-part side rails, pivotal connections between the ends of said side rails and said end frames, and pivotal connections between the meeting ends of said two-part rails, in combination with bars pivotally secured to and connecting said side rails, in pairs, and a horizontal cross-piece connecting the two upper side rails at their middle, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

AUGUSTUS O. DILLMAN.

In presence of" \V. H. DURBIN, M. M. BOOTHMAN. 

